Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Arthropod-borne infections found in dogs traveling in Europe
By Hamel, Dietmar et al.·Published in Parasite (Paris, France)·2013·Veterinary Faculty, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Arthropod-borne infections in travelled dogs in Europe.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 106 dogs traveling from Germany to various countries in Southern and Southeastern Europe were tested for infections spread by ticks and other bugs. Before and after their trip, the dogs were checked for diseases like Babesia, Leishmania, and Ehrlichia. Only seven dogs showed signs of exposure to these infections before traveling, but none tested positive after returning home. Most of the dogs had received preventive treatments for parasites, and the study suggests that the risk of getting these infections during a short stay in affected areas is low.
People also search for: dog travel infections Europe · Babesia symptoms in dogs · tick prevention for dogs traveling abroad
Abstract
Pet animal movement is ever increasing within the European Union and in that context canine vectorborne infections gained a considerable importance. Information on these infections in travelled dogs is nevertheless limited. A first prospective study on vector-borne infections was conducted in 106 dogs travelling from Germany to countries in South and South-East Europe. The dogs were screened prior to and consecutively up to three times after travel by haematological (Giemsa-stained buffy coat smears, Knott's-Test), molecular biological (PCR) as well as serological (IFAT, DiroChek(®)-ELISA) methods for arthropod-borne infections. Seven animals were seropositive for antibodies against Babesia canis sspp., Leishmania spp. and/or Ehrlichia canis prior to travel to Italy, Spain, France, Croatia, Greece, or Hungary. In the consecutive screening after return there was no increase in the number of seropositive dogs. None was positive in direct methods. The mean duration of the stay was 17 days and 51% of the dogs were prophylactically treated with ectoparasiticidal formulations. Preliminary data from this study on canine vector-borne infections indicate a low risk for infection during a limited single stay in endemic countries.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23477298/